Keir Starmer is facing fresh questions over the China spying case after several newly released key witness statements raised further concerns about national security.
Late on Wednesday evening, three witness statements from the Deputy National Security Adviser, Matthew Collins, were posted on the UK government website, revealing new insights into the scale of Chinese espionage in the UK, as well as the ongoing investigation.
The case in question relates to Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, two suspected spies accused of allegedly passing sensitive data to Chinese intelligence.
Cash, the former director of the China Research Group think-tank, and Berry, a researcher for an MP, were charged but continue to deny any wrongdoing.
In a surprise turn of events, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) then dropped the charges against Cash and Berry just one month before they were due to stand trial.
Ministers are now calling for the CPS to explain why the China spying case was dropped so abruptly, with Starmer expected to face questions in the Commons today over the three newly-released witness statements.
The first document in question was filed when the Conservatives were in power in 2023, with subsequent statements submitted in 2025 under the Labour government.
Here are the biggest revelations within them.
1. “Chinese Intelligence Services... conduct large scale espionage operations against the UK”
One of the biggest takeaways is that officials appeared to be aware that China is spying on the UK, and its espionage capabilities were a significant concern.
Across the three statements, Collins makes multiple references to China’s abilities to spy on the UK - but doesn’t explicitly state this is a threat to national security.
One of the key statements is published in the 2023 report that says: “The Chinese Intelligence Services are highly capable and conduct large scale espionage operations against the UK.” Later, Collins says, “China is the biggest state-based threat to the UK's economic security.”
At one point, he also mentions that their activities included “cultivating contacts to manipulate opinion in China’s favour.”
In response, the report also states: “We will increase our national security protections where Chinese State (CCP) actions pose a threat to our people, prosperity and security.”
2. Cash and Berry’s alleged behaviour was harmful to UK security
In the 2023 report, Collins provides detailed information about the alleged sharing of information between Cash and Berry and Chinese intelligence.
It included allegedly passing on information about Tom Tugendhat, Rishi Sunak, James Cleverly, and Boris Johnson and included various topics related to the workings of the UK government and information that could benefit China.
In the witness report, Collins expresses the belief that the actions the men are accused of committing could be detrimental to UK national interests.
He says: “It is my assessment that the suspects' alleged activities were prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK, and the information and material passed would be directly or indirectly useful to the Chinese state.”
3. China’s intelligence gathering has been “persistent and increasingly more covert”
The witness statement also appears to suggest that China’s espionage capabilities were becoming more prevalent and sophisticated.
It reads: “These espionage operations have been persistent and increasingly more covert to avoid detection.”
It could be interpreted that this behaviour was becoming more covert to avoid detection by the UK counter-intelligence, suggesting that such spying was designed to continue.
4. “The UK Government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship”
Despite knowledge of China allegedly spying on the UK, officials still sought a positive relationship.
Whereas Collins acknowledged that “large scale espionage operations” were seemingly happening, positive relations with Beijing were also a diplomatic priority none the less.
In the third report from early 2025, Collins says: “It is important for me to emphasise. however, that the UK Government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability.”
5. Plan to “co-operate”
Although Keir Starmer has pointed the blame for the trial’s collapse on previous government policy, Collins appears to make a reference to current government policy in his third witness statement submitted in August 2025.
This is interesting as it raises questions over whether Labour has also shaped the direction of the case.
In the statement, Collins claims that the government identified “a pattern of malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-affiliated organisations,” and other reconnaissance activity in March 2024.
However, in his final paragraph, Collins says: "The government's position is that we will co-operate where we can; compete where we need to; and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security.”
